Connecticut western news., 1887-08-24
A BIG STEAMSHIP BURNED.
13 OF HER CREW AND PASSEN.
 GERS PROBABLY LOST.
Destroyed by Fire on Windy Night, Four days Out From New York.

QUEENSTOWN, Aug 19.--The cargo steamer York City, en route from Baltimore to London, called at this port this morning to announce the burning of the Inman line steamer City of Montreal at sea Aug. 10, and to land such of the passengers and crew as she had been able to save. Whether any lives were actual ly lost or not is not definitely known, but one small boat, containing thirteen men, seven passengers and six of the crew, sailed away from the burning ship and disappeared, and nothing has yet been heard from it.
 The City of Montreal sailed from New York on Aug. with twenty three intermediate pas sengers and 112 in the steerage., She had a full cargo, including over 2,OOO bales of cotton, ship. The voyage for the first four days was uneventful. On the evening of Aug. 10 the ship had reached latitude 4S deg. 3S north; longitude 43 deg 54' west, and was then about 400 miles southeasterly of St. Johns, New foundland. The night came on with fresh northerly wind veering to northwest, and pretty high westerly sea running. With every sail set and drawing, the big steamship was making very fine passage and was very picturesque sight, but, as the Captain says, on account of the sea the majority of the passen- gers retired below decks soon after nightfall.
 While the two mates were on the bridge, at 915 o'clock and everything about decks was quiet and fin good order, the carpenter, who had been making tour around the ship aft, came up on the bridge and reported that smoke was coming up through the ventilator from the second compartment forward of the stern, and that there must be fire in the cotton below.
 A fire at sea is an awful thing under the most favorable circumstances, but in these days iron ships have sbeen known to run for week with cargo ,on fire in the hold and then reach port in safety. The Cap tain of the ship was therefore quietly notified of the impending danger, so as not to alarm the passengers, while the boatswain called all hands to man the hose The big steam fire fn fhn nm inn yrocc cfo ka6 and hand pumps about decks wefe manned, and in D very few minutes there were as many streams Of water playing into that part of the hold where the fire was as there were holes thfough the deck to admit the nozzes, of about nine in all
 Pretty soon even those least accustomed to a ship noticed that there was an unusual com motion on deck, as of men hu ryng to and fro Orders were frequently given and instant ly obeyed. Everybody grew anxious, and toward the cabin. All this time the smell of smoke was growing stronger, and finally the passengers could see by the dim lights ill the alley between the staterooms that thick black smoks was actually gathering overhead.
 There was no need to awaken the passeu- gers. All of them were awake, and from the lower cabin they came rushing up to tho main saloon, some partly dressed, some ill their night clothes, and two or three fully dressed, as if they had not yet retired.
 Once on O6CK, tue passengers were Seub l, T. ward and there gathered in groups, some weep ing, some trying to encourage the distressed, Some praying aloud for succor, and all by turns peering over the rail and off across the tossing water, hoping to see the welcome lights of some passing ship, while from the and cracks and crevices about the matches heavy clouds of smoke rose and drifted away eastward.
 Meanwhile the men on deck were working with will, but uselessly, to oovercome the fire. Steam from the big boilers was turned into a pipe leading to all the cargo compartments in the hope that the steam would smother the fire, while hand grenades were broken down the holes in the decks provided for the inser- tion of hose nozzles The work in vain.
 At six o'clock on the morning of the 11th inst. the flames burst through the after hatch es. The boats we're then lowered. There was still 3 high sea at the time, and this calsed much difficulty. The women and children were first put aboard the boats, and the male passengers and crew were embarked afterward. The boats were eight in number, and consisted of four life boats and four pinnaces. These were launched and stocked with provisions. When all was ready the passengers were mar shalled on the Ice end of the deck preparatory weeping, but, on the whole, they were quiet and orderly. The family groups presented a sight pitiable to see, as they huddled together in fear and trembling.
 The lack of time prevented the manning Of the boats with their respective crews, the men being comp elled to continue until the last mo- ment the work of keeping the flames down. All the boats left the ship safely, but by an unfortunate oversight twenty people were left on the burning vessel. In answer tQ the cries for help fl, m these people boat No 3 returned and took off six of the number, and boat No. 5, with the fourth officer, took of six more.
 It was while engagedin rescuing the twenty people inadvertently left on the burning.ship that bark was sighted bearing down on them. The announcement was received with cheers, while some became almost as hysterical as they had been when told that the steamer was doomed. The two boats crews that were talk ing the last 20 from the steamer first carried their passengers to the bark, and then they returned and took off those remaining on the burning steamer.
 All the boats had kept as near the ship as possible but one. Soon after all had left her, 1t was found that boat No. 8 was missing. She was seen to put herself before the wind when she left the ship, using her oars in SUD- port of the sails. She ran away from the ves- sel in direct disobedience of the captains orders. She had showed off from the ships side before quarter full, although the cap- tain personally ordered her to remain. The bark was the Trabant Capt. Scheel, from Charles. on, July 24. for London. She had seen the smoke of the burning steamer | and hastened to the rescue. The passengers remained on the bark while the steamer York i City, which had arrived some time later, cruised about in search of the missing Faib ing to find it, the passengers were transferred | from the bark to the steamer, and she thsa proceeded on her course.